Circuit-breaker.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

R. H. READ. CIRCUIT BREAKER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1901. RENEWED NOV. 20, 1902. No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. F/gj.

WHCnesses. lnveanto'rt W Robertrgicii vmwwmou a c m: mRa-s PETERS cow wmmrwo PATENTED MAY 19, 1903. R. H. READ. CIRCUIT BREAKER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1901. RENEWED NOV. 20, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

Inventor Robert H. Read. fltfg.

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ENG. 728,293.

UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT II. READ, OF SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,293, dated May 19, 1903. Application filed July 27, 1901. Renewed November 20, 1902. Serial No. 132,168- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, ROBERT H. READ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the interruption of circuits carrying currents of high potential and large amperage, and has as its object increased safety in the management of such currents by more effectively extinguishing the arc of circuit rupture than devices heretofore provided for that purpose.

In a companion application of earlier date I described means for extinguishing arcs of circuit rupture by employing tubular electrodes and driving a blast-of insulating fluid radially in all directions across the electrodes at the moment of circuit rupture. The preferable mode of practicing the invention was to drive the are formed between tubular contacts within the tubes. My present invention relates to a device of the same general character, the principal object being to render the device self-contained, so that the pressure needed toextinguish the arc may be developed at the spot where the circuitbreaker is located.

In carrying out the invention I inclose the tubular contacts in a box-like chamber and deliver thereto when; the circuit is being opened a combustiblecharge which is ignited by the are formed at the parting contacts in its incipient stage and instantly raises the pressure within the chamber and crowds the are back through the tubes, removing the conducting-vapor from the terminals, thereby extinguishing the arc. I prefer to employ as the combustible material a fuel which will readily burn in the presence of air and provide means by which a small quantity of the fuel is introduced into the chamber just prior to the separation of the contacts. I have attained excellent results by using a liquid fuel, such as gasolene, and spraying a small quantity of this into the electrode-chamber, together with a large proportion of air by mechanism thrown into operation prior to the separation of the contacts, the entering air being utilized to break up a stream of gasolene into sprays, which instantly difluses in the neighborhood of the separating contacts and furnishes a highly-combustible mixture, which ignites when the contacts first part.

My invention embodies generally any means for locally generating fiuid-pressu re by which an insulating fluid may be forced across the arc when the circuit is opened.

It embodies also various features of novelty, which will be more particularly hereinafter described and will be definitely indicated in the claims appended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the best form I have thus far devised for carrying out my improvements, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a hand-operated circuit-breaker involving the invention, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an automatic circuit-breaker embodying the same.

Referring first to Fig. 1, 11 represent tubular circuit-terminals, the meeting contacts of which are inclosed in a chamber 2. I prefer to employ a tubular terminal at each side of the break, though this is not, of course, absolutely essentiahsince a single tubular vent will extinguish the are. This chamber'may be formed of insulating material, as wood, wire-wound for strength,

'or of metal, as indicated in the drawings.

One of the electrodes is mounted so as to slide through a head 3, closing one end of the chamber, and the other is mounted in an insulating-head 4, detachably connected, as indicated, in the other end of the chamber. The stationary electrode 1 is elastically seated in the head 4, so as to yield when the circuit is closed to effect good contact between the terminals or arcing-tips, one of which is provided with a flaring recess and the other with a tapering nose, as indicated in the drawings. These tips may be made of brass. Each electrode terminates on the outside in a cooling device 5 5, consisting of two disks of metal having radial grooves, forming when assembled channels communicating with the inside of the tubular electrodes, the arc products being driven out radially through the channels when the circuit is opened, and thus brought into intimate contact with an ex- Ten tended heat-absorbing surface of metal, by which flame is extinguished. One of these disks is seen in detached view on Sheet No. l. The movable electrode terminates in an insulating-handle 6, above which is a barrier of insulating material '7. A helical spring 8 acts to drive outwardly the movable electrode and is latched under tension by a spring-pin 9, carried in a spring-pressed latch 10. The pin enters a beveled groove in the edge of a disk 11, mounted on the movable electrode, permitting release of thelatter independently of the opening of the latch in case of rise of pressure and failure of the latch to trip. The chamber around the contacts, if of metal, is lined with insulating fireproof material such, for example, as asbestos. Within the chamber, preferably above the contacts, are two annular pipes 12 13, the latter of which is provided with a circular row of fine holes for introducing liquid fuel. The air-pipe is provided with a row ofcorresponding holes of larger diameter adjusted so as to direct a stream of air on the liquid-jets proceeding from the lower pipe to break them into spray. Pressure is communicated to introduce the air and fuel by means of a piston 14 in a pumpcylinder 15. The upper part of this cylinder connects with a pipe 16, a branch of which leads through a stop-cock 17 to the top of a fuelroservoir 18. Another branch leads through a ball-valve 19 to the air-pipe 12. The fuel-supply pipe 13 communicates throughaball-valve 19 with a pipe extending to the bottom of the fuel-supply tank. A gage 20 may be provided to indicate the level of the fuel-supply, and the top of the reservoir is closed by a cap provided with a friction-tight plug 21, through which the supply of fuel may be renewed. The piston is provided with an operatinghandle 22, above which is a trip-disk 23, adapted to engage a projection on the latch when the piston is'nearthe end of its traverse. The circuit is closed by pushing up the handle 6 until the parts are latched. In opening the circuit the handle 22 is raised, compressing the air in the pump-cylinder, thus operating the atomizer and introducing a fine spray of gasolene and a liberal supply of air into the chamber around the contacts. The amount introduced may be varied by adjusting the stop cock 17. After the piston has been moved through a desired range the disk 23 engages the latch 10, releasing the spring 8, which opens the contacts, starting an are which instantly fires the combustible mixture, developing pressure in the chamber and forcing the arc backward through the tube or tubes until it is torn asunder and simultaneously removing all are products from the gap between the electrodes and supplanting it with aninsulatingmixtureofhotcarbonic-acid gas and other products of combustion of the fuel employed. The are products are driven backward through the tubes, being cooled in transit, and before reaching the outside air must traverse the numerous radial grooves in the cooling-disks 5 '5, by which their tempera ture is so reduced that flame is extinguished and no evidence of fire is observed. By introducing air into the cylinder I guard against failure of the device to act by reason of an exhaustion of the oxygen after repeated use at periods close together. The quantity of the fuel introduced, and therefore the intensity of the'pressure, may be varied according to the potential of the circuit being broken.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated an automatic breaker of the same type, the piston being controlled by a stiflf operating-spring 24, which is distended by hand when the circuit-breaker is closed, a latch 25 detaining it in this position. The latch cooperates with a trip-piece carried by an armature of a trip-magnet 26, included in circuit with the contacts. Thus upon a determinate current condition arising the electromagnet is operated and the latch 25 tripped, releasing the spring 24, whlch forces home the piston in the pump, operates the atomizer, and sprays the combustible mixture into the contact-chamber.

While I have described a combustible fuel as the means of generating pressure, my invention is not limited to so narrow a construction, as various other ways of locally generating the pressure will occur to engineers. I have described in a companion application, Serial No. 66,460, filed on or about June 29, 1901, another mode of locally generating the pressure by means of smokeless gunpowder, and a chemical reaction, such as water on carbid of calcium, or an acid on a carbonate might be similarly employed with more or less advantage, the reaction being effected by a preliminary movement of the operating parts, as above described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A self-contained circuitbreaker comprising a container or reservoir adjacent to the arc-terminals, and means controlled by the heat of the arc for delivering an insulating-gas under pressure from said reservoir to extinguish the arc.

2. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable electrodes, a pressuregenerator operated by the preliminary movement of the circuit opening mechanism, means for directing a blast of insulating fluid across the contacts by such pressure, and means for confining the arc-gases to a limited path and preventing them from scattering.

3. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable contacts, a pressuregenerator, means for operating the same bya preliminary movement of the circuit-opening parts, and means for directing a blast of insulating fluid radially in all directions across the are by such pressure.

4. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a closed chamber around the engaging terminals, a pressure-generator,

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means for operating the same preliminary to the separation of the contacts, and ducts for communicating said pressure to the chamber around the terminals.

5. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable contacts containing an exhaust-duct, a chamber containing a mixture of combustible fuel and air communicating with the contacts, and means for electrically firing the mixture when the contacts separate.

6. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable contacts provided with a tubular exhaust, a chamber containing a mixture of a hydrocarbon and air communicating with the contacts, and means for electrically firing the mixture while the circuit is being opened.

7. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, and a chamber containing a mixture of a hydrocarbon and air communicating with the contacts.

8. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a chamber inclosing the engaging faces thereof, and means for injecting a hydrocarbon into the chamber prior to the separation of the contacts.

9. Means for extinguishing electric arcs comprising separable tubular contacts, a chamber inclosing the engaging faces thereof, and means for injecting a hydrocarbon and air into the chamber prior to the separation of the contacts.

10. A circuit-breaker comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a chamber inclosing the engaging faces of the same, and means for supplying said chamber with carbonic-acid gas under pressure when the contacts separate.

11. A circuit-breaker comprisingseparable tubular contacts, a chamber inclosing theengaging faces of the contacts, and means operated coincidently with the tripping of the circuit-breaker for injecting a combustible compound into the chamber.

12. A circuit-breaker comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a chamber inclosing the engaging faces of the contacts, an-atomizer connected thereto, and connections with the operating mechanism of the circuit-breaker for spraying a combustible compound through the atomizer into the chamber prior to the separation of the contacts.

l3. Acircuit-breaker comprising separable contacts one at least of which. is tubular, a latch for holding them in engagement, a closed chamber surrounding the engaging faces of the contacts, a hydrocarbon-pump, means for injecting a hydrocarbon into the chamber by the pump,.and tripping devices permitting separation of the contacts after a determinate range of operation of the pump.

14. A circuit-breaker comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a latch for holding them in engagement, aclosed chamber surrounding the engaging faces of the contacts, means for injecting an explosive compound into the chamber prior to the release of the latch, and means for permittingrelease of extraordinary pressure independently of the opening of the latch.

15. A circuit-breaker comprising separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a closed chamber surrounding the engaging faces ofthe contacts, and an automatic pump controlled by the trip-coil for injecting a combustible compound into the chamber prior to the separation of the contacts.

16. A circuit-breaker comprisin g separable contacts one at least of which is tubular, a closed chamber surrounding the engaging faces of the contacts, a hydrocarbon-reservoir, and an automatic pump controlled by the trip-coil forinjecting a determinate quantity of combustible compound into the chamber prior to the separation of the contacts.

17. A circuit-breaker comprising separable contacts, a chamber surrounding the engaging faces of the contacts, a reservoir for liquid hydrocarbon, and a pump for spraying a determinate quantity of said hydrocarbon into the chamber prior to the separation of the contacts.

18. A circuit-breaker provided with separable electrodes, means for driving the are products through a duct communicating therewith, and an extended cooling-surface connected with the duct to extinguish the fire.

19. A circuit-breaker provided with electrodes, one at least of which is tubular, means for driving the are products through the tube, and cooling devices for said products connected with the electrodes containing a plurality of small exit-channels for the heated gases.

20. A circuit-breaker provided with tubu lar electrodes, means for driving the arc products through the tubes, and cooling devices at the ends of the tubes provided with a multiplicity of small channels leading the products from the tubes.

In witness whereofI have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of July, 1901.-

ROBERT'H. READ.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN 'B. HULL, CHARLES STEINER.

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